HOSPITAL FINANCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 132, 1 December 1936, Page 10

HOSPITAL FINANCE

"ALARMING GROWTH"

THE £600,000 SCHEME

"AC CLASS PEOPLE"

A motion asking the Local Gov-

ernment Loans Board to request the Wellington Hospital Board to defer the raising of the proposed £000,000 loan for building purposes until after the disclosure of the full details of the Government's national health insurance scheme was passed at the last meeting of the Makara-Hutt Valley provincial executive of th.a New Zealand Farmers' Union. It wai decided also to,suggest that, a conference of contributing bodies, hospital boards, and Government representatives be arranged to discuss the matter. Hospital finance was discussed generally. One speaker expressed the view that hospital expenditure was most alarming and said it pointed to the fact that the health of the community was declining. He also spoke in favour of the decantralisatiou of the hospital system. Those present at the meeting wera Messrs. R. Sievers (provincial president), H. Hawthorn and H. Scholar, (provincial vice presidents), G. Bruce, L C Bryant, A. Horrobin, J. Maher, J. Woodman, P. Wall, E. Windley, E. M Lynch (provincial treasurer). The Dominion secretary (Mr. A. P. O'Shea) also attended. ■ Mesdames F. E. Scholes, H. Hawthorn, and T. B. McNeil represented the Women's Division. Mr. E. Windley said that the question of hospital finance had reached a stap where it was obviously beyond the original views of the union, the 50-o0 basis (population and capital value,, and they should not consider .that aspect any longer, because on that basis as expense was at present mounting, it would be too great. The only solution was to make it a national rej sponsibility. The increase in hospital expenditure was most alarming. The expenditure during the last ten or fifteen years had grown out of all proportion and it was fairly obvious that it pointed to the fact that the health of the community was declining. They were developing at a very rapid rate into a C class people. He was so satisfied that the healtJi of the community was declining tbffit he had brought forward a proposal ,at the county meeting that a Natioaal Council should be held. The position warranted it. '■ This council, continued Mr. Windfjey, would consist of local bodies, hospital boards, and the Government or tiieir officers. Something had to be 'd one. He considered that a meeting between the local hospital board and the local contributing bodies would get them nowhere. CONTROL OF FINANCE. Dealing with the matter of thi; control of finance, Mr. Windley w.id he held that the present board so utlook was very benevolent— probaV ily a little too benevolent. There was a cerain amount of control as regards the payment of fees, and he felt tb at they were doing their best in that direction Nevertheless, only a little over 20 per cent, of the actual fees payable were collected. The dental service had been forced upon the board and not 10 per cent, of the fees were collected from this particular branch. This showed the weakness as rc.-gards the health of the people, and it also showed that the majority were receiving dental treatment. .Previously these people had been unable to obtain this treatment for then iselves. It was a well-known fact that nowadays anybody could get treatment irrespective of their being able to pay a private dentist. This y/as never the intention of the dental iclepartment at all Other departments' were heading in the same direction. T^he service was provided so that it woTild simply pay its way; but it had ney er done this. Mr. Windley said ho favoured decentralisation. As far as hospital administration was concerned he was satisfied that a hospital in the Hutt Valley was absolutely essential, and further, it would p* ove to be more economic than the puesent system. He was absolutely sure on this point. Nevertheless, they j-were faced with having a man who was regarded as an authority advising against it. He thought that this was a question which the Farmers' Union should take up— the decentralisation of hospitals. The advocates of centralisation claimed that by centralising they got the best services. Personally, he did not think this was so. ; On the motion of Messrs. Windley and Hawthorn, d.t was resolved:— That in the opinion of this union the question <at establishing hospitals in centres of ; population of 35,000 to 40,000 be reoammended as districts large enough' for the establishment of public hoEl/?itals. A COMMISSION SUGGESTED Mr. Maher, ;in supporting the remit, said that thqre was a time .when a concern becar.ie too large. Surely the British Medif.-al Association, and the ratepayers aa d the Government, should be able to ?iay down concrete proposals. Wi th the larger hospitals there was 1 ilways the question of a larger prop ortion of doctors being available aa well as the question of the supply of Tjetter medical apparatus. This was ix serious point. Often the private ho? pital had to send its patients to the puljlic hospital. However, they had to gji st a sound foundation and build on that. He agreed with Mr. Windley/ but felt that the due payers, the Govf ;rnment and the British Medical Assa ciation, should set up a commission' to see what is the proper course to adopt. .The , -president said that they were anxioijrs to avoid unnecessary expense in th'i? matter of rates. They did not want; to increase their financial obligation is in any way.